Until We Go Down
by nariai
Summary: She never thought that death would lead her from one hell to another. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as the older sister of the witch twins.]
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back, dear readers!**

 **There isn't much I can say about my long absence without it sounding like some lame excuses, so I won't.  
**

 **As you might have noticed, this isn't a true update. I have only edited the first chapter and decided to inform you that I'll try publishing the next one soon. Maybe this week or the next one.**

 **However, I make no promises. School just started and I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to do it.**

 **But fear not, I haven't given up on this story yet.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters.**

 **Summary: I never thought that death would lead me from one hell to another. Self-Insert/OC-Insert**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _Until We Go Down_

 _Chapter 1_

 _Never Get To Heaven_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where Death Stopped Knocking On Her Door_

* * *

 _"There are two types of humans in this world: those who function so they can get something and those who function so they can give something."_  
 _― Sarah Noffke, Stunned_

* * *

 _ _Edited on the 8th of February 2018. Perspective has been changed.__

* * *

 _What did they do to deserve this?_

That was a question many people frequently asked themselves. It was a question that humans kept asking themselves despite never finding a true answer, despite never truly wanting to find an answer. Who would? Nothing pleasant would come out of knowing the truth about oneself. Humans hated to be confronted with their biggest flaws and the answer to that question would certainly be one of them.

There were many flaws that Ella Smith had. Many mistakes that the girl had made in her admittedly short life. But which one of them led to _this?_

Was it the time when she was a little girl, visiting a toy store with her mother? She had found a plush toy there, a small bear that was more adorable than anything she had seen before. Back then Ella would have told anyone that it was love at first sight. Unfortunately, her mother did not want to waste money on another toy that would have been put underneath her bed a week later. Ella, not knowing how much of a crime it truly was, ended up taking the toy home with her and no one ever noticed.

It could have also been the time when she pushed little Mary-Louise. The other girl was always so happy; she had everything. Even the cute dog Ella had always wanted to have. Envy could be such an ugly, ugly thing.

 _Or maybe it was the time when she abandoned her own sister?_ Cowardice prompted Ella to turn her own back on her sister and to run. Instead of helping Hannah, the teenage girl left her behind. She would never forget the look of utter betrayal on her sister's face.

 _Greed, envy, selfishness, cowardice._ Those were only a few of her own flaws.

But what did those truly mean? Which one was worth of this punishment? _What did she do to deserve this?_

It was only natural for humans to question everything around them. Even now, standing atop one of New York's tallest skyscrapers, she still continued questioning the punishment she knew was deserved.

With her many flaws came the one thing that made everyone ultimately human; _guilt._

Ella was guilty of many things, and yet not many of them made her _feel_ guilty.

Abandoning her elder sister for her own survival turned into her undoing. Sweet Hannah, only two years older than she was, died because of her weakness.

Each time she closed her eyes, Ella saw her sister's accusing face in front of her. She saw the bloodied nose she had received from one of those _monsters_ and watched how the life was drained out of her body. In her dreams Ella watched her sister die and with every passing day she hated herself a little more

The girl just could _not_ continue living like that.

(...And all those accusing stares. Why did they all stare at her? Why?...)

It wasn't her fault. She did not kill Hannah.

(...It was a lie. She died because of her...)

If she had stayed with her, both of them would have been dead. She could not have saved her sister.

(...Another lie. She could have saved her by sacrificing herself...)

Was it wrong of her to desire life? She hadn't wanted to die after only seventeen short years of life on this earth. All the time in the world would have never been enough, let alone less than two decades.

(...They should have been...)

 _A step closer to the edge_. The city of New York was beautiful this time of the year. Christmas had always been her favorite holiday.

 _Another step._

As her legs were shook, Ella was painfully reminded of her fear of heights. Though, in truth, this fear meant nothing just about now. The girl just could not continue living like this.

Hated by everyone around her, she wouldn't be missed.

(...How come she believed those lies? Her mother would be devastated when she found out that...

...

...that her youngest child was dead. It would break her...)

She needed to do this. She needed to be punished.

(...Did she?...)

For Hannah, she would do this for Hannah, who died because her younger sister had left her alone in a dark, dark alley, _s_ _urrounded by monsters._

The last step was easier than she thought it would be. Almost freeing.

The sharp wind caressed her skin. The colorful city lights blurred around her.

 _People screamed._

There wasn't much time left anymore. The concrete would be her salvation.

It had to be.

* * *

Ella Smith never knew when her life ended. One second she was there, falling from the sky, and then, so suddenly that it surprised even her, her body connected with the concrete and darkness enveloped her.

Her death wasn't slow or painful. If she had to describe it, then she would deem exhilarating to be most fitting. That experience was the closest she would ever get to truly flying. There weren't many things that could trump _that_.

It might have also been the large amount of adrenalin coursing through her body. Or the lack of air in her lungs. It was surprisingly hard to breathe in that situation.

Did that make her crazy? Being crazy would certainly explain her current situation.

She had died, of that she was sure. The teen was also sure that she should be in hell, heaven or even some kind of limbo.

Not here. She shouldn't be here. Never here.

She had died. _And yet she was still here._

 _She was still alive._

This whole situation was wrong, so very wrong. This shouldn't have happened. She was meant to be punished, not be given a second chance.

 _(...She never considered the possibility of this being her punishment...)_

After she had died, the girl had woken up in the body of a toddler. Did that mean that she had killed an innocent child? Had she forcefully shoved the previous inhabitant of this body out of it? Was she a murderer?

(...She was. She had killed her own sister...)

No, she wasn't. This was her body. It belonged to her.

Hazy memories of the time she spent in her new mother's womb danced across her mind. Those days she hadn't been really _present_. She was there and yet she wasn't.

Still, she could remember her new body slowly developing. Hearing, touch and sight came one after another and then she was _reborn._

 _She was freezing. Where was she?_

 _Why couldn't she breathe properly? Why were there so many people surrounding her?_

 _Did she...did she survive the impact?_

 _Oh god, please no._

Yes, she remembered. She had died and proceeded to be reborn.

Even though she couldn't tell how long she had been here, she knew that it had been a while. Her consciousness had been shoved into the back of her mind for as long as this new body wasn't strong and developed enough to be inhabited.

 _She had been trapped in a vegetative state for over a year. She had been there and yet she hadn't._

Ella knew that she wasn't in her normal when and where anymore as well. Her new mother—For more than a year she had taken care of the girl turned infant. Bathed her. Fed her. Talked to her.—seemed to be only fifteen years old.

She was young. Too young to be a mother.

But she was.

And then there was her new sperm donor. A horrid man who was at least twice as old as her new mother and liked his ale way too much.

It was only the three of them in their small hut. Magdalena, Aldwyn and _Freya_.

They had named her Freya. The meaning of that name was 'a noble woman'.

She was anything but noble.

Looking back on the first year of her new life, all seemed like a hazy dream. It was full of contradictions. Some would call those contradictions 'denial'.

But there was no need to talk about that. _Freya_ was fine now.

(...A liar. That's what she was...)

The ceiling of her new room was bleak. She did not even have some kind of crib, only a pile of hay. The village she was now residing in seemed to belong to one of those medieval movies. From the looks of it, she had to be centuries in the past.

This was another thing to be added to her large and continuously growing heap of problems. She had died and then proceeded to be reborn centuries in the past. The people here spoke a language she did not know. Modern appliances didn't exist.

This was a nightmare.

 _What did she do to deserve this?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Finally, here is chapter two of 'Until We Go Down'. I hope you will like it.  
**

 **It took me a long time to finish it and I really wasn't sure about publishing the second part of this chapter. But I needed to make sure that Freya's new life didn't seem too happy or good.**

 **The times she was reborn into aren't safe ones and that's shown in this chapter. If I have insulted anyone with it then I'm sorry.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: I never thought that death would lead me from one hell to another. Self-Insert/Oc-Insert.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Until We Go Down_

 _Chapter 2_

 _Up In Flames_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where Her Eyes Burned  
_

* * *

 _"You have to quit confusing a madness with a mission."_  
 _― Flannery O'Connor, The Violent Bear It Away_

 _"When is a monster not a monster? Oh, when you love it."_

 _― Caitlyn Siehl_

* * *

 _Edited on the 8th of February 2018. Perspective has been changed._

* * *

Dancing pollen announced this year's spring time. They tickled Freya's nose and awakened an allergy she never knew she had. Fortunately, it wasn't asthma. In this century there weren't any doctors that could help treat such an illness.

Three months after waking up in this new world, the once American girl sat on a small stack of hay, wiping her running nose with an old cloth and sneezing almost constantly.

She truly hated spring.

With red and puffy eyes Freya looked through her rooms entrance at her mother. She was running around their small hut and trying to prepare supper before Aldwyn arrived back from the fields. If food wasn't served when he came back, the man would be anything but happy.

An unhappy Aldwyn was bad news.

''Freya.'' Magdalena sounded surprised as she stopped moving at the nursery's threshold. ''I did not expect you to be awake before supper.''

Freya wasn't sure if that was exactly what the woman had said. In some ways the language spoken here was similar to English, but there were also words that sounded almost the same and yet had a completely different meaning. For example there was ' _fæst';_ it took Freya some time to figure out that instead of 'fast' it meant 'firm'.

What a revelation that had been.

Learning a new language was easier than the toddler had thought it would be. As Ella the girl had never had any real problems at school, however, she hadn't been a genius either. And learning a new language as fast as she was currently doing it wasn't something a normal person could just do.

Her theory was that this body's infant brain absorbed everything in her surroundings like a sponge absorbed water. There was no other explanation for it.

Thank whatever god had send her there for at least giving her this advantage.

"I should probably take you with me. It would do us no good if you managed to get yourself in too much trouble." Freya's new mother was standing before her, the teen's small frame only showing how young she actually was.

All things considered, she did have a point. Leaving a toddler alone in a not baby-proofed room wasn't smart. A normal child could have gotten itself hurt at the edges of the sparse furniture or even by just falling down unluckily.

While Freya could by no means be considered a normal child, it did not change the fact that leaving her alone would not be the smart course of action. One wrong step could lead to a head injury that would leave her dead once again.

Knowing that she wouldn't get an answer, Magdalena put her hands under Freya's armpits and picked her up. Instinctively, the toddler's arms reached out and wrapped themselves around her mother's neck.

She was good at playing the role of a child.

There were three 'rooms' in their small hut. Magdalena's and Aldwyn's bedroom, the nursery and something that was supposed to be a kitchen. None of the rooms had actual doors and the kitchen was the only thing that separated Freya from her parents at night.

When they entered the kitchen, a headless chicken immediately caught the child's attention. It laid on a wooden table in the middle of the room. Some kind of broth was being made in a pot above a small fire.

The young mother put her daughter down in a corner, far away from the scalding pot or sharp knives. ''You shall stay here, Freya. Do not go near the fire.''

Then she thrust a wooden figurine into her hands and turned around to continue cooking.

Was a child her age meant to understand what adults said?

The answer wasn't important. Personally, Freya did not want to go anywhere near that fire.

With her brown curly hair falling out of her plait, Magdalena bustled around the kitchen. She prepared the chicken and threw it into the broth. Afterwards she cut vegetables that ended up in the same pot as the rest of the ingredients.

Three bowls and wooden spoons were put on the table. Freya's laid next to her mother's as she would be the one to feed her during supper.

Once the dark haired girl finished preparing today's meal, loud footsteps could heard near the entrance of our hut. A herd of elephants would have been quieter than he was.

Freya hated her biological father.

He came into the kitchen and sat down on a chair with a loud thud, never sparing either females in the room a glance. The air was instantly penetrated by the smell of sweat and booze. ''Give me the food, woman. I am dying of hunger.''

Freya wasn't the only one that wished for that statement to be true.

''Of course, my husband.'' Young Magdalena reached out for the man's bowl and filled it to the rim with broth. He did not wait for them to sit down as well to start eating. The sounds of Magdalena's steps were accompanied by his slurping.

She filled the other two bowls, one less than the other, and turned to Freya. ''Come, darling. It is time to eat.''

Deciding to use her sparse vocabulary, the toddler answered her. ''Yes, Mother.''

When she saw the radiant smile that bloomed on her mother's face, Freya decided she would have to answer her more often. She may have hated Aldwyn, but Magdalena had earned her respect and liking.

On unsteady feet she stumbled towards her mother's knees and managed to grab them before falling to the ground. Trembling hands held the material of the teen's dress tightly and only let go when Magdalena finally pulled Freya onto her lap and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Leaning her back against the woman's upper body, Freya gripped the table before her with two hands to steady herself.

''Open your mouth, my sweet child.'' A spoon full of a light brown broth was held in front of her face. The toddler disliked the fact that she couldn't even do such small things on her own anymore.

Their family wasn't rich, so Magdalena could not risk having their supper wasted due to some childish tantrum. It did not matter that Freya would never do such a thing. In the teen's eyes, Freya way just a toddler and couldn't be trusted.

The meal itself did not taste bad. One of the reasons why Freya could not truly appreciate it was that she had tasted way better food. Spices just weren't truly used in this centuries.

Salt was something truly lacking in most meals.

Anyway, the rest of their supper was a silent affair. Magdalena only said a few more words to Freya and never even tried talking to Aldwyn.

She knew better than to aggravate him by saying the wrong thing.

A few times Freya had to avert her eyes to her new 'father'. She had once seen a reflection of herself in a puddle outside and thus knew that the two of them looked very similar. The same green eyes and blond hair. The only difference being the slight curls Freya inherited from her mother. Her skin was also fairer than his, but that was due to her spending most of her time in the hut.

Together with Magdalena, Freya let out a sigh of relief when Aldwyn left the hut before they finished eating their meal. Most probably he wouldn't be back until the next morning, drinking their sparse income away in the village's tavern.

Maybe he would manage to drink himself to death. That was something they both could only hope for.

* * *

The village was full of religious fanatics.

Before she was reborn, Freya hadn't believed in god and she still wasn't sure if she should do so now.

Even though she could prove now that reincarnation was real, the girl still couldn't be sure whether everything else humans believed in was as well. Maybe instead of there being a god there was only the devil. He might have given her this second life as a punishment for failing her sister.

At least that was what Freya always thought during her 'bad days'.

She had once watched a TV series about a woman who had traveled two hundred years into the past and had to witness how one of her new friends was accused of witchcraft. The time-traveler watched in disbelief how people believed in fairies that stole their children and rivers that could force you to tell the truth.

There were many things she just couldn't comprehend and now that Freya was in a similar situation, she found herself sharing that sentiment.

How could someone who claimed to live for god accuse a ten years old girl of witchcraft and sentence her to be burned at the stake? How could the whole village watch it without batting an eye and actually feel pleased by it?

Their shouts and cheering were like a pillow to the face, threatening to suffocate the toddler within seconds. The night was starless or at least she liked to think that. Thick clouds kept the moon hidden, as if trying to protect it from humanity's shameful actions.

If Freya could have, then she would have asked them to hide her too.

Only an hour prior to her current situation, Aldwyn had come home from the tavern, shouting something about a great show soon starting. He had dragged Magdalena and her out of the hut and into the village square.

There were so many villagers gathered that the teenage girl had been forced to pick her daughter up, otherwise one of them would have trampled Freya into the ground. No one even thought to look out for the countless children running around the area. If their parent's didn't protect them, they would end up severely injured or dead.

It did not take her long to figure out what was going on. Especially because the people kept shouting 'Burn the witch' or 'The Devil's spawn'. The girl's fears were confirmed when she saw the giant stake in the middle of the crowd surrounded by large, flammable stacks of hay.

Everyone stayed a few feet away from that one thing and yet more people continued coming to the village square.

 _A 'witch' was soon to be burned._

Freya just did not expect for the witch to be a ten years old _pregnant_ girl.

A so called 'servant of god' led her through the tight crowd, two men on each of her sides hindering her from running away. The girl was crying and shrieking that she wasn't a witch.

She begged for mercy.

 _No one listened._

Freya would never forget the screams that left the other child's mouth. The supposed witch screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed _andscreamedandscreamed_.

As she watched the happenings, Freya had to turn away. She could not deal with the cruelty exhibited in front of her. Things only got worse once the young girl's mother got involved and tried to save her.

 _She failed._

Like the coward she was, Freya hid her face in her mother's neck. The teen was among the few woman that had also averted their eyes.

Most of the crowd was cheering. Aldwyn among them.

The priest was saying something in Latin.

They should have burned _him_ at the stake.

That night the smell of burnt flesh filled the whole village and the screams of a child haunted the roads.

Curled against her mother's side, Freya did not fall asleep.

 _Would she someday end up just like that poor little girl?  
_

* * *

Compared to other families, Freya's was lucky.

When winter finally swept through their lands, their hut turned out to be sturdy and and they had enough food to last through the coldest of months. 'Them' having the food wasn't really true though, it was Aldwyn's older brother who did.

As the oldest child of four he had inherited their family home and all that came with it. Which meant a slightly larger hut than theirs and a small shed next to it. The animals inside that shed were more precious than their two homes put together.

They provided them milk and eggs in times where almost no crops could grow. Eldric, her old uncle, lived with his two daughters inside his hut. The wife that bore them had died in childbirth.

Freya's two cousins were older than her by a few years and resembled her appearance wise in so many ways that they could have been mistaken for siblings.

Rowena was the older one, while her sister was named Valora. They both possessed blonde hair and green eyes. As her name foretold, Rowena's hair was almost as light as the snow that had fallen to the ground just a few days ago. Valora had the same shade of honey blonde as Freya did.

The only thing missing were the curls.

The once teenage girl would have liked to say that she liked both of them since the moment they first met and that she couldn't have wished for a better family, but that would have been a lie. Rowena and Valora were two typical girls of this century. Conceited and full of misguided believes.

However, that did not mean that they treated her badly. She was their cousin and thus received a treatment not many could expect from them. They helped Freya finish some of the chores given to her by Aldwyn and treated her as if she were a part of their family, not a stranger that had stolen the life of their true cousin.

And even if they didn't, Freya would have still been thankful for their presence. After all, it was Rowena who was one of her mother's only friends. The girl was only three years younger than Magdalena, fourteen winters old to be exact.

Sometimes she saw both of them sitting side by side in the grass and whispering in each others ears. They gossiped about the old woman at the other end of the village and the scandalous relationship the tavern keeper's daughter had with their neighbor's son.

Only during those times Magdalena was allowed to behave like the teenager she actually was.

Oftentimes, Freya would 'play' with, more like watch over, Valora in the grass and observe her mother and cousin having their fun not far away from them.

The girl enjoyed those times. Magdalena deserved to be happy.

Unfortunately, all good things had an end. Theirs started in the winter of Freya's third year in this world. Once upon a time Christmas had been her favorite holiday. The white snow falling upon earth had seemed like one of the most beautiful miracles the world had to offer. Hot chocolate warmed _Ella's_ body during the coldest days. Christmas had been the only time when her whole family would gather in their home and spend the whole evening together.

As a child, _Ella_ used to think that winter was the most magical thing one could ever experience.

How wrong she had been.

There was nothing magical about the plague that swept through their lands like a raging storm, leaving nothing but hunger and illness in its wake.

The toddler had never been so cold before. The multiple layers of clothing her mother had put on her small body did nothing to protect her.

It was hard to even imagine that they were the lucky ones. Those who still had enough food to last through the winter and a home that managed to keep them at least partly warm. As a lethal fever swept through the village, Freya and her parents were forced to stay at home, not interacting with anyone but their immediate family.

The only ones they truly kept in touch with were Eldric and his daughters. They lived near enough for daily visits and occasionally their whole family slept in Aldwyn's childhood home to conserve some firewood and keep each other warm.

But most times Freya's father was too proud to do even that.

''Another one is dead.'' Aldwyn said once he entered his brother's home. He had been outside, probably inside the village, to get something to drink.

It was one of those rare times when they visited her uncle's home. Together with him, she sat at the table in the kitchen. His daughter's were preparing today's supper. Some porridge with eggs.

Eldric put his left elbow on the table and leaned his head against his hand. ''Who?''

''Kendrick.'' The blonde man sat down on a chair opposite of his daughter. ''He passed away while it was still dark. They are going to burn him soon with the rest.''

The name was unfamiliar to her. There were not many people Freya actually knew in this new life, however, she did know that it wasn't the first and certainly wouldn't be the last name she heard this winter.

Magdalena combed her right hand through the toddler's short locks and adjusted her grip around Freya's waist. ''Has the priest demanded our presence?''

She could certainly imagine that horrid man doing just that. Telling her father to come out with his family during the coldest time of the day. Demanding the presence of all the villagers - be it men, women or children - just to show them how god was punishing their village for the crimes they all have committed and thus force more of his ideology upon the unsuspecting.

If there was a god, then he probably would only punish the priest for burning so many supposed witches.

The man more than deserved it.

''Eldric and I shall go, you will stay with the children.'' Grunting loudly, Aldwyn took a long sip of wine from a cup. Afterwards he stood up from his seat at the table and started to make his way out of the kitchen. He most likely wanted to change his slightly wet clothes.

As if encouraged by her 'father's' disappearance, Rowena moved away from the small fire at the other side of the kitchen, took a jug with wine from a counter and poured some of it into her own father's cup. ''Will you be leaving before supper, Father?''

Taking a sip from his cup, Eldric shook his head. ''No, we shall go once dusk arrives.''

''Good, good.'' Her two cousin truly did have luck with their father. Even though the brothers looked so similar that they could have been considered twins, their character traits could not have been any more different.

Not to say that Freya's dear uncle was a gentle and doting father, he was still a man living in a century where women where nothing but objects and men were expected to be as hard and unforgiving as steel.

Still, in his own way the man was a good person and an even better father. Even though Rowena was 'already' fourteen, he still hadn't forced her to marry anyone.

Maybe he did it because he loved his daughters or perhaps he was just lonely and did not want to lose some of the only company he had. It did not really matter.

''Valora.'' Magdalena's voice called out to the young girl, her hands reaching out under Freya's armpits to pick the child up from her lap. ''Could you look after Freya for a while? I will go search for my _dear_ husband to tell him that supper will be served soon.''

The blonde girl smiled brightly, the one missing front tooth making her even more adorable than she already was. ''Of course, Aunt Magdalena.''

The toddler was lowered upon the floor, the only thing protecting her from feeling its coldness was the small shoes on her feet. Before the girl could even consider protesting or trying to stop her mother from seeking Aldwyn out alone, Magdalena was already out of the kitchen. A hand that grabbed her own hindered Freya from going after her.

She did not trust Aldwyn with her poor mother.

''Do not worry, Freya.'' Valora was still smiling. ''Aunt Magdalena will be back soon.''

More than once she had witnessed her supposed father hitting Magdalena. The poor girl couldn't even defend herself. Neither could her daughter.

''Promise?'' Looking up at the seemingly older girl, Freya tried to plaster a convincing smile upon her face. Sometimes it was really hard to act like the child she was meant to be. In her innocence and naivety Valora could not see what Freya did. Sometimes the American wished to be able to do just that. To ignore the truth about the harsh world that surrounded her and to actually believe that everything would be alright.

Freya received a grin from the young girl. ''Promise.''

* * *

Magdalena truly did come back a few minutes later. Surprisingly, there were no new bruises blooming on her skin. She had the common look of disgust she wore around Aldwyn on her face, but otherwise there seemed to be nothing wrong with her.

They all sat down around the table and ate porridge, from time to time someone would say something. Aldwyn and Eldric conversed about their coming nightly endeavor and what they expected to happen. Both seemed to be convinced that the priest could do no wrong.

Anyway, after they finished eating and Magdalena concluded helping Rowena to clean the utensils that were dirtied during our meal, the men stood up from their seats at the table.

Freya watched all this happen from a corner where she had been sat down to play with Valora. Her cousin was currently holding something that was probably meant to be a wooden doll in her right hand and showing the toddler the pretty hay hair on its head.

''Do not wait for us to come back.'' Was the only goodbye the girls received from both men.

How loving.

Just as they had ordered, no one waited for their arrival. After the women finished cleaning the rest of the mess, the four of them laid down together next to the fire. It kept them warm during the night.

The men's nightly expedition lasted longer than Freya thought it would. They came back not even an hour before sunrise.

She was awoken by Aldwyn's loud footsteps. Any other time the blonde might have complained about him and his loud tendencies, but that day she did not. The noise that awoke her wasn't only his loud footsteps, no, it was also Aldwyn's hacking cough.

He had allowed her to witness the beginning of his own demise and that was the best and only gift he ever gave his daughter.

* * *

Aldwyn died a week later. The illness that had already taken countless of other villagers took him as well.

To Freya's sick pleasure, the man had suffered before his death.

Fever, stomach pains and bloody vomit. He had finally gotten what he deserved.

The only problem: Magdalena and Freya had to survive on their own now. For two females in a village and time like this it certainly wouldn't be easy.

Especially because only a month after Aldwyn's death it turned out that Freya's mother was _pregnant_ once again.

Back than neither girl had known what that pregnancy would truly mean for them. The only worries they had had were that they would have more mouths to feed and no one who could actually work for that food.

If only Freya had known what the birth of those _twins_ would cause in the future, then she might have tried to change something. Maybe the blonde would have ran away before she could have even gotten involved. Or maybe she would have stopped them from being born at all.

But Freya did not know and thus not even nine months later Jane and Alec, the future witch twins of the Volturi, were born.


	3. Chapter 3

**I have published a few new Self-Insert stories (e.g. for Vampire Knight and Tokyo Ghoul). Check them out.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: I never thought that death would lead me from one hell to another. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as the elder sister of the witch twins]**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _Chapter 3  
_

 _Will of the Heart_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where She Mistook The Devil For An Angel  
_

* * *

 _"What's meant to be will always find a way"_

 _― Trisha Yearwood_

* * *

 _Edited on the 8th of July 2017. Chapter three and four have been put together._

 _Edited on the 8th of February 2018. Perspective has been changed._

* * *

Working in the fields wasn't easy. Especially for a four years old girl and her heavily pregnant mother.

After Aldwyn died many villagers visited their home to offer them their condolences. They told the two girls how sorry they were and that Aldwyn was a man they all would miss.

Somehow Freya doubted that statement. In fact, she knew that Eldric was the only one who would miss that horrid man and that was only because he was blinded by the love he felt for his brother.

Not even his own wife would miss little old Aldwyn.

On the outside her mother played the role of the mourning widow, pretending to be devastated because of Aldwyn's death, but in truth she felt the exact opposite. Behind closed doors she danced around their small hut, her arms wrapped tightly around Freya and a soft hum passing her lips.

Magdalena's happiness persisted until she noticed that she was pregnant once again.

The young girl remembered the day like no other. Her mother had gone into the woods to get some water for them and Rowena had been appointed Freya's caretaker. Her cousin had sat her down on the floor of their kitchen and continued to repair Valora's torn dress.

When Magdalena had finally come back from her short endeavor, she was paler than ever. Eyes wide and face sweaty.

She had looked at Rowena and muttered the one sentence that would inevitably change our life. "I believe I might be with child."

Rowena had let go of the dress in her hands and stood up from her seat at the kitchen table. Her feet had moved silently across the floor and she had reached Freya's mother within seconds. "Those are most wonderful news, Magdalena. Do not look as if you have just had a meeting with the priest. You are not alone, my dear."

The older girl's gaze had moved towards her daughter and suddenly a smile graced her angelic face.

They were lucky that Eldric actually backed up his claims of taking care of Aldwyn's family. Because of the fact that he was the brother of Magdalena's deceased husband they were moved under his protection? Jurisdiction?

It was due to the love that he felt for his deceased brother that Eldric helped them survive in those hard times. He couldn't do to much for them, but he did enough.

They always had enough of all the necessities. Never did they have to want for food or anything else.

Rowena or Valora always took care of her when Magdalena couldn't and helped with the house keeping.

Fortunately, it wasn't hard to persuade the pregnant woman into letting Freya help her on the fields. They had a small land that needed to be taken care of. It wasn't as small if only one person worked on it.

During some days, when her back hurt and hands bled from the hard work, the blonde despised her mother for giving in so easily. A child shouldn't have to work like this.

But then she looked at her mother and felt the familiar guilt rising inside of her chest.

Today especially, Magdalena was tired and seemed to have it even worse than Freya did. Her stomach was big, so big in fact that it made her wonder in which pregnancy month she actually was.

Her mother looked ready to give birth.

Then there was also the pained grimace on her face and how she practically wobbled across the fields with a heavy basket in her hands.

Freya took the accursed thing from her and decided that they had worked long enough for the day. It was getting dark anyway, they could go home a little earlier that day.

"You are a good child, Freya." The older girl's whisper was carried to her by the wind.

The girl didn't really know how to answer. It wasn't as if Magdalena's statement was true. Freya wasn't good. Only a few seconds ago she had turned her anger and resentment on Magdalena, betraying her own mother in her darkest thoughts. The second part wasn't true either. A child, she was anything but a child.

Freya's eyes focused on her struggling mother. People often said that pregnant women move like penguins. In Magdalena's case that was true.

She waddled alongside Freya across their small land. The 'road' was uneven and hard to walk on. During such instances she truly missed the small perks of the future. Pavement, that was a good example.

Soon, they were half way home. The sight of her uncle's hut was very welcome for two reason; their own hut was hidden behind it and Rowena was waiting for them at its entrance.

Once she saw Freya dragging the heavy vegetable filled basket, the older blonde ran up to them and took it from her. Rowena's hands heaved it up easily. "I will help you, little one. You look as if you might fall asleep any moment now."

Her dear cousin accompanied them home and helped her mother change her dress into a cleaner one. Magdalena found even such small tasks hard to complete nowadays.

Had Freya been a normal child, then their situation would have been a lot of worse. As the only adult, Magdalena would have had to work alone and would not have been able to take a small nap each time they came back home.

A normal four year old could not have been trusted with taking care of herself for a few hours. As it was, Freya either laid down next to her mother and slept for a while too or found something else to occupy herself with for however long the pregnant woman's nap would last.

This time, after escorting Rowena to the door, she laid down next to her young mother and fell asleep within seconds.

* * *

 _They_ were born in autumn, when thousands colorful leaves danced through the air and harsh rains provided the villagers with most of the water they needed. It was a day like any other and maybe that was the reason for why Freya felt so surprised when her mother's contractions finally started.

She had known that the birthing process could start any moment now, but that did not stop any panic from surfacing. And there was nothing that could be done to calm the small girl down. In these times women often died giving birth and the fact that they did not even have enough resources to afford a midwife only heightened her panic and unwanted fear. Though it wasn't as if a midwife could have helped them if any real complications occurred.

Freya had never witnessed someone giving birth before, but had learned enough about it to at least know the basics. Considering that this wasn't her mother's first child, the girl had not expected for the labor to last so _long._

Magdalena's first contractions had started about midday and ended the next morning with the _second_ birth.

 _She_ was the first to be born.

A little girl with a tuft of blonde hair on her head was the first one to enter the world with a loud and piercing scream. Rowena wrapped a clean cloth around her and proceeded to put her into Freya's arms. She had been so surprised by the happenings that did not even resist her older cousin's choices. By the time the small blonde caught her bearings, Rowena was already back at Magdalena's side, shouting something a _second head._

Magdalena's shrieks mixed with the cries of her newly born _sister._

Freya felt a little faint, so she sat down before she let the precious little girl in her arms fall. While she might not have known much about babies or being a good sister in general, the once American knew that letting them fall on their heads was not the right thing to be done.

Looking down at the babe's features, Freya shuffled slightly to the side so that she did not stand in anyone's way. Rowena was constantly running around the room to get one thing or another and it would not have done them any good if the older girl tripped over the two sister and concussed herself.

Regrettably, there wasn't anything truly helpful that she could get. Painkillers weren't invented yet.

The four-years-old's attention focused once again on the child in her arms. Her little sister just had to be the most beautiful child in the world. With her light blonde hair and their mother's blue eyes the infant reminded Freya of an angel. That comparison might have been a little cliche, but it truly did apply in this case. This little child in her arms was the one thing that both _Ella_ and Freya had believed to be unattainable.

 _A chance for redemption._

Once, in a life that now belonged to the past, Freya had abandoned her older sister to save herself. Hannah had died because _Ella_ had been too much of a coward to save anyone but herself. As the months passed and the American was forced to face what she had done, the guilt managed to overwhelm her and prompted her to commit suicide.

 _Ella_ had taken not only one but two daughters from her parents. A friend from all those they had known. And two sisters from the rest of their siblings.

This little girl in her arms...

(...''It is boy, Magdalena! A boy,'' shouted Rowena in delight. She was holding the second child in her arms, rocking him slightly to stop his loud crying...)

...and the boy in Rowena's were the redemption Freya had long since given up on. She had once sacrificed a sibling's life for her own and now she would do the same with her own for them. Two younger siblings that would no matter what lead a better life than both _Ella_ and Freya ever had.

She would ensure their happiness, no matter the cost.

And hopefully, when the day came for her to finally truly die and reunite with both of her families, Freya would be able to look into Hannah's eyes and say that she had done her best.

Magdalena's sudden silence alerted her oldest child to what was happening around her. Green eyes focused on the scene before them as a small smile crawled onto the blonde girl's face.

Shortly after her _brother_ was born and the placenta delivered, Magdalena and Rowena called Freya to them. Her mother was already holding the little boy in her arms and the blonde could not wait to actually see him. A heartwarming anticipation filled her and was only quenched after Rowena helped her get onto the straw bed Magdalena was occupying. It was there that she finally managed to catch a glimpse of their newest family addition.

The boy undoubtedly resembled their mother in every way possible. He had her hair and eyes, but that wasn't all. His nose was the exact same shape as hers and he also had her cheek bones.

A part of Freya was glad that her siblings looked almost nothing like their father. She was enough of a reminder of that horrid man. Magdalena did not need two additional ones.

''May I hold her, Freya?'' The dark haired woman asked, her voice soft and gentle.

Denying her such a request was impossible. Magdalena had carried the twins for months in her womb and she had spent about a day giving birth to them, the least she deserved was to hold them for as long as she wanted to.

Slowly, Freya positioned her little sister in their mother's arms, all the while watching how the woman's eyes lightened with happiness.

''How shall we name you, little ones?'' Magdalena asked softly, her gaze turning towards her oldest child. ''What do you think, Freya? How about Jane? My mother, her name had been Jane. She had been the sweetest woman I had ever known.''

The blonde could only nod her head in consent. Jane, that would from now on be her little sister's name.

''And my son could be named in remembrance of my dear brother, Aleczander.'' The teen smiled fondly.

Aleczander? That was a rather long name, especially when compared to Jane. ''What about just Alec, Mother? Aleczander is such a _long_ name.''

''Jane and Alec?'' Smiling brightly, Magdalena motioned for her to lay down besides them. ''I like that.''

Freya never knew what was coming.

* * *

Jane turned out to be a screamer and Alec her loyal follower.

They cried throughout the whole night so loudly that some villagers actually knocked on their door to complain. Magdalena diffused the situation with Eldric's assistance and promised them that her youngest children would be quiet soon.

At the same time Rowena and Freya tried to calm down the wailing infants, but nothing seemed to help. They did not want to eat, neither was their makeshift diaper full. Singing did not help either, nor did cradling them in their arms.

Their shrill shrieks echoed through the whole hut and did not stop until both of her younger siblings were too tired to continue and a restless sleep finally claimed them.

Never before had Freya felt such a relief. When their cries finally stopped ringing in her ears and her mind could finally process what had happened in the last few hours, the blonde realized that she might have overdone it that day. Although Freya was mentally a teenager, her body was still that of a four years old child. It needed more rest than an adult's body and the girl had not slept for almost a day.

Needless to say, the once American fell asleep soon as well and did not wake up until the next morning. By then her mother was already up and about, bustling through their small home and preparing breakfast fir the two of then. They were fortunate enough to have a family willing to help them, otherwise Magdalena would have been already forced to work in the fields. As it was, Rowena took over for her that day, while the older teen stayed with her children and played the 'babysitter'. The only difference being that instead of two children, she now had four of them to take care of.

When Freya reached the cooking area, her mother was already chopping some vegetables and Valora watching her actions intently. The twins were inside a small basket in the corner of the room, both of them fortunately still asleep.

''Finally. We have been waiting for you, Freya,'' exclaimed Valora as she jumped down from her chair. Luckily, her voice did not rouse her slumbering siblings or the four-years-old might have actually considered running away.

Freya's small cousin walked up to her and grabbed both of her hands in a light grip. ''Aunt Magdalena is preparing our food. She said it will take a while.'' Valora turned her head towards Magdalena. ''May we go out, Aunt Magdalena?''

Putting the sharp knife on top of the old wooden table, the dark haired teen regarded then with a suspicious look. She did not blame her mother for being unsure about such an idea. Letting two young children out without supervision would never be fully safe. Even though Freya wasn't truly a child, there were still many things that could go horribly wrong. Valora was physically older and bigger than her, thus the blonde couldn't truly stop her cousin from anything she truly set her mind on.

Besides, which kid ever even wanted to listen to someone who was younger than them?

 _None._

And yet, Freya's mother still seemed to come to the conclusion that the two them were trustworthy enough to leave them alone for some time. Although, being alone wasn't quite right either. They weren't allowed to go too far from the house and their other family members could probably see them from their place in the fields. If not, there was certainly some villager nearby that could stop Valora from doing something too _stupid._

While people here generally did not care about the well-being of their neighbors as much as they probably should have, there was still some sense of duty or at least pity all of them felt. They wouldn't just let two children kill each other.

''Stay near the entrance and leave the door open, Valora. And please, just look after your cousin.'' Her mother's eyes were stern as they analyzed their forms. Finding something that seemed to please her, Magdalena once again focused on her task. ''I will call you when the food is ready.''

It was quite insulting to hear her saying something like this. Freya was capable of taking care of herself way more efficiently than any other child and it would probably be her who would have to keep her cousin from doing something dangerous. At the end, it would be the once American who would end up looking after her cousin and not the other way around.

But her mother did not know that. From her point of view, Freya was just a barely four years old child that needed constant guarding.

Although the blonde did understand all this, it did not mean that she also liked it.

Mentally, the girl wasn't a child and the lack of independence in this new life was slowly driving her insane.

''Of course.'' Valora smiled brightly. ''I will make sure that Freya does not behave foolishly.''

Magdalena had at least put it nicely, Valora did not even seem to know the meaning of such a word. Her blunt and childish honesty only worsened the younger blonde's mood, but Freya did not stop the other girl from pulling her outside the hut. There wasn't much else to do anyway and outside she could at least keep her her cousin from waking up Jane and Alec.

They all could use the calm of their sleep.

* * *

Time passed quickly and more noticeably as she watched the twins grow. Their bodies got bigger and they learned things more quickly than the once teenage girl thought possible. One morning she awoke to Alec _sitting_ in front of her and poking her cheek. A few weeks later both of her siblings started crawling.

Their mother wasn't there to witness it. Winter was coming and she had to harvest as much vegetables as possible and dry them. Like this they would last slightly longer and their family would have more nourishment through the harshest time of the year.

This would be Alec's and Jane's first winter and that thought left Freya severely _worried._ Children got easily sick and in times without any antibiotics even the smallest cold could become a death sentence. Being only about seven months old meant that they did not have a good immune system.

Their survival was something _uncertain_ and that scared their older sister.

Despite knowing that, Freya had still come to _love her_ brother and sister more than she probably ever loved someone. They were _innocent_ and the redemption the girl never thought that she would receive after all the atrocities she had committed.

Perhaps it was unfair of her to put such a heavy burden upon them and upon herself, but it was the only way she knew of that could free her of the guilt she felt for abandoning _Ella's_ sister.

Although it was hard to help with the body of a almost five year old, the blonde still tried to assist her mother to the best of her capabilities. Freya accompanied her mother to the fields and did her best there, took care of her siblings most of the time and tried to aid Magdalena in preparing their winter clothes.

Thick furs were used to fill the insides of their dresses and other garments.

It was those clothes and the firewood they had gathered that would keep them warm during the coldest months of the year and hopefully allow them all to survive.

Freya's siblings were too _good_ to die just like their 'father' had. Both Alec and Jane possessed a certain innocence she could never even dream to attain and it was this innocence that made them more than worth protecting.

Even just imaging a day during which she would not wake up with their warmth at her side made something inside of the once American feel strangely _hollow._ Humans got easily used to the pleasant parts of their life and her siblings had become a lifeline for Freya. Their small hut did not have enough place for all of them to have a room and when the temperature outside got colder, it was better for them all to sleep together anyway. Their bodies warmed each other and Jane and Alec slept better when they were all together. The presence of their mother and sister seemed to keep them calm.

The older members of the family slept at the edges of their rather small hay mattress, while the youngest members spent their night in the middle of it. They were small enough for Freya to always gently put an arm over the both of them.

More than once had the girl woken up with some part of her arm or hand in one of their mouth or a tight childish grip. Most of the time she awoke before her siblings did and had some time to observe them.

Today was no different.

Through the last few months they had changed a lot. Their bodies had grown and their hair had gotten longer. Comparing them to each other was like comparing day and night. Not only because of their different hair colors, but also because of their tempers.

Alec was a rather silent child that seemed to follow his older twins example. He sat up for the first time and started crawling when she did. The boy also mimicked his sister when it came to crying. Otherwise, unlike the other baby in their house, he only ever cried when he truly needed something.

Jane seemed to like causing them pain with her loud shrieks. When she started crying it was truly hard to pacify her and sometimes she did it without having a recognizable reason. She also seemed to be more 'dominant' than Alec who preferred to just copy her behavior.

But all that wasn't truly important. They would grow out of those traits in the future and give in to the expectations of our society. Alec would have to be a strong _man_ and Jane would be forced to gain a more mellow personality.

And while a part of Freya bristled at the thought that both Jane and her would have to obey their society's whims and seem like the weak women they wanted them to be, she knew better than to speak her displeasure out loud. The blonde had seen what happened to those who were different and did not wish to end up being burned at the stake. Neither did she want such a future for her siblings.

A gurgling sound pulled Freya's gaze to the little boy who was currently salivating on her finger. Alec had opened his eyes before Jane this morning and seemed to find his amusement in her, so he did not wake up his sister. Cornflower blue eyes seemed to focus on his oldest sister's face and he finally let go of her finger.

Then Alec _smiled_ and it had to be the most adorable thing she had ever seen. His bare gums only added to his cuteness and made her want to squeal loudly.

Fortunately, the girl managed to stop herself from doing that. Jane was rather grumpy in the mornings when someone woke her up and a grumpy Jane was not a pleasant person.

Reaching out with her hand, Freya softly stroked her brother's head and watched how he once again tried to take a hold of her limb.

She truly couldn't even begin to imagine a life without her siblings.


	4. Chapter 4

**For those who are waiting for updates for some of my other stories: I'm truly sorry. Currently, I'm suffering from a little writer's block and I have no idea what to write sometimes. That's also the reason why this chapter is so short.**

 **Maybe I will update something soon, but it might happen that you will have to wait a while longer.**

 **Still, I hope you will enjoy this chapter.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: I never thought that death would lead me from one hell to another. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as the elder sister of the witch twins]**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _Chapter 4_

 _Not About Angels_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _How She Adapted  
_

* * *

 _"Happiness is part of who we are. Joy is the feeling"  
― Tony DeLiso, Legacy: The Power Within _

* * *

_Edited on the 8th of February 2018. Perspective has been changed._

* * *

The priest did not like their mother. Whether it was because of her sentimentalities and the weakness she had shown during some of the witch _punishments_ or the fact that she was managing or family without any true male help, the man just seemed to dislike Magdalena. This led to him doing his best to make their lives difficult.

At first there were just a few misguided advices given to the young mother. Some people claimed that she would be better off, if they lived with Eldric and his two daughters, others thought that her mother should marry again. No one even considered what _they_ wanted.

But those were things their small family could live with. There wasn't much time they could waste on pointless things such as gossip when there was a whole field that needed taking care of. Both Jane and Alec provided them with two more mouths to feed and more work than the two of them could handle alone.

Magdalena had to supply most of their food herself, while Eldric offered them his support in from of a babysitter.

Rowena watched the children during the day and made sure that they did not get in too much trouble. It was hard in the beginning when both of Freya's siblings were still too young to be left alone for too long, but as the years passed and all of them aged, their tasks slowly shifted. Her oldest cousin had to help the other members of theie family in the fields while Valora and her were left behind to take care of the twins.

At the age of nine Freya had learned enough about her young cousin and siblings to know how to make sure that they stayed in line. It was easier with the twins because they just needed to be given something that would hold their interest, whereas Valora liked to drive the younger blonde insane with her bad habits. Only a few months prior she had decided to swim in the river and left without informing Freya about it. Not only had she not known where her cousin had gone to, but the girl had never _learned_ to swim.

The once teenage girl still thanked all the gods out there that she had arrived at the riverbed fast enough to pull the child out of the water before she could have drowned. As it was, Valora just received a scolding from her and a few harsh hits to the bottom from her own father. Compared to the other people in this century, Eldric ended up being quite nice when it came to his punishments. Others would have done way worse and at least now Freya did not have to worry about any of her family members drowning in the near future.

She believed that the happenings of that day had left enough of an impression on her siblings for them to not be stupid enough to copy their cousin's actions. Besides, they had way more important things to do, among them hiding from the village children.

Earlier the girl had mentioned the few things the priest did to spite them, but they were nothing compared to the rumors he started to spread about Jane and Alec. Although she did have to admit that some of those rumors weren't complete lies, they were still as far away from the truth as one could get.

Her siblings were only four years old when the whispers started. People claimed that Jane and Alec caused misfortune, that they were the reason for their 'father's' death.

 _Freya could not deny that_ unusual _things happened around them._

There was this one girl that had pulled on Jane's hair once, jealous of the little doll she had received from her older sister. The next day the same girl got lost in the woods and no one found her until night came. That wasn't the last time someone who had crossed the twins ended up being harmed. One boy broke his leg for insulting Jane, while another lost his favorite knife after pushing Alec.

Such happenstances occurred so often that people started to take notice and the priest decided to use them in his own favor.

Soon, her siblings were known by some as the _spawn_ of the devil.

Not everyone believed it immediately, of course. The humans in these times might have been as stupid as a sack of potatoes, but they did live by a code of _honor_ of all things. Aldwyn might have not been a good parent or husband, however, he did have some _friends_ in the village. Then there was also Eldric who belonged to one of the wealthier members of their small _community._

As long as they made sure that her siblings stayed hidden the rumors were kept at bay. Rarely were Jane and Alec allowed to venture too far away from their home and Freya also tried to stop any villagers from being in their proximity.

Their life continued in a relative peacefulness with their mother ensuring their family's survival and Freya guaranteeing my siblings' future existence. She took care of them, fed them, bathed them ―Conforming to this world's believes was important, but that did not mean that she would start disregarding hygiene.―at least thrice a week and taught them as much as she could. No one in their family could read, so the girl couldn't learn it from them. Actually, besides the people in the church, there was no one in the village who could have taught her how to read this new language.

Considering that there were way more important things in this new life, the blonde gave up on finding a way to learn it and continued to show her siblings all she knew. Boiling the water from the river before drinking it was a part of her lessons as well as cleaning any wounds they might sustain during their games of tag outside.

People here disregarded so many necessities because of their lack of knowledge that she sometimes had to wonder how the human kind survived for so long. The word hygiene had no meaning here, neither did helping someone in need. This world was a very harsh place for people without a home. The future might not have been perfect, but it was still better than watching a man dying of hunger in the middle of the street and no one taking care of his body until it started to reek.

It was quite obvious why so many illnesses plagued these lands.

And that was another reason for keeping herself and her family as clean as possible. There wasn't anything Freya could use to clean their teeth―She had no knowledge about herbs and toothpaste hadn't been invented yet.―which meant that their breath _stunk._ However, after spending so much time in this new world the once American had gotten used to it.

Getting used to the bad smells did not stop her from doing her best. That meant that she spent a lot of her time near the river, trying to clean all of their clothes.

By now, it was clear that the girl was little of clean freak. It had to do with her modern origins and was sadly a highly undervalued quality here.

''You promised to play with us, Freya,'' whined Jane as she tugged on her sister's dress. Had Freya's hands not been occupied with washing one of _Jane's_ dresses in the river, then she might have actually swatted her appendages away.

Her sister's biggest talent laid in annoying people and she just loved using it against Freya.

Fingers traveled over the older blonde's ribs and forced a giggle out of her mouth. Startled, she almost let go of the dress. Childish giggles echoed through the forest when Jane repeated her previous action.

''Jane,'' Biting her lip, Freya tried to stop her laughter. ''Just let me finish this. I shall play with you afterwards, I promise.''

Alec decided to help his twin in persuading their older sister. He wrapped his small arms around her waist and leaned his chin against her shoulder, digging his bones almost painfully into her body. ''You promised this _before.''_

Jane nodded her head in agreement. _''An eternity ago.''_

Freya rolled her eyes when she realized that for her siblings less than an hour equaled an eternity.

Exasperatedly, she looked down at the wet garment and sighed. ''Gather some firewood and we will leave when you are finished. Once we deposit the dresses and the firewood at home I will play with you.''

They regarded her skeptically for a second, then her siblings turned around and started picking up some of the drier branches. The nine-years-old finished cleaning the greenish dress and folded it. The wet cloth was heavy and her baggage got only more difficult to carry when she was forced to pick up the other two washed dresses.

Alec and Jane had gathered a small amount of partly dry wood and both of them were carrying a small pile. They needed to be home before their load got too heavy for them and they had to leave it behind.

''Come.'' She tilted my head in the direction of their hut.

It was astounding how much energy both of them had. Instead of walking besides their older sister, the twins started running along the unsteady forest path. More than once Freya's heart missed a beat as one of them stumbled and almost fell, but they always managed to catch themselves in the last moment.

Lady Luck seemed to favor her siblings.

They arrived at their destination pretty quickly and immediately entered the hut. Magdalena was still working, so they were on their own. After Freya hung their clothes near a small fire, checking twice to make sure that the flames couldn't reach them, she helped Jane put her sticks upon the large pile of firewood that stood in a corner of the 'living room'.

''I will walk once through our whole home while you hide.'' Their hair felt soft when she gently ruffled it. Jane grinned brightly and left the hut as fast as she could. Alec followed her at a slightly slower pace.

Hide and seek was one of their favorite games and Freya did not mind indulging their childish needs.

Counting wasn't something the blonde was sure that she should teach them. If it was important in these times then someone would certainly show them how to do it. There were some things her siblings were better off not knowing right now.

Later, when they got older and learned the value of keeping secrets, she could still show them the basics of math.

Shacking my head, Freya turned towards the door. ''I'm coming!''


	5. Chapter 5

**I have published two new stories. Check them out if you like KHR!**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: I never thought that death would lead me from one hell to another. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as the elder sister of the witch twins]**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Chapter 5_

 _You Are A Memory_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where She Met A Monster_

* * *

 _"A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest, Granny Weatherwax had once told her, because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her."_  
 _― Terry Pratchett, Wintersmith_

 _"A single day is enough to make us a little larger or, another time, a little smaller."  
― Paul Klee_

* * *

 _Edited on the 8th of February 2018. Perspective has been changed._

* * *

At the age of six, Jane and Alec had already started to see the world for what it truly was. They watched their words around adults and did their best to keep their heads down whenever a stranger was near them. Freya's siblings did not even try to find new playmates anymore, not with all the rejections they had received in the last few years.

It was painful to watch them withdrawing into themselves and starting to be cautious even around some of their family members. There was a shyness that resurfaced in them each time they were in either Rowena's or Eldric's company and their older sister feared that some day it would change into distrust.

She could not blame them for such a behavior, of course. What else could one expect from children that were treated like the pariahs of their village?

The only thing the blonde was grateful for was that both her brother and sister still seemed to trust her unconditionally. Freya did not know what she would have done if they started pulling away from her as well.

(...She had always been a _selfish_ creature...)

Despite all the misfortunes that had been forced upon them, a childish innocence could still be found in their eyes when they were allowed to play freely outside. Seeing them happily laughing and enjoying the sparse time they could spend outside of their home was something that always managed to lighten her mood. Jane, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, often reminded Freya of a fae that had unwittingly stepped into the human world and was now forced to live with their cruel kind.

That is, until she opened her mouth and destroyed all the illusions of her being a _nice_ little girl.

Out of the two of them, Alec, their dark and brooding little brother, was actually the nic _er_ one. He was the one whom she could still sometimes observe watching the other children with longing instead of bitterness. Nowadays, only the latter appeared in Jane's eyes.

Although they were twins, Freya's siblings were as different as day and night. Even their general opinions and outlooks varied.

Alec was often the more _innocent_ one.

And yet, as she watched them both sleep at her side without a frown or forced smile on their faces, there was no denying the fact that had it not been for their coloring, Alec and Jane would have been almost identical in terms of looks.

There was something very calming about watching their chests rise and fall with each intake of air and feeling their warm breaths caressing the skin of her arms. Alec had one of his tiny arms slung across his oldest sister's waist, while Jane was gripping Freya's sleeping gown tightly.

Mother had accidentally awakened her when she begun preparing their breakfast. She always did that in the morning before leaving to do her daily work. Most days Freya did not hear her, but this morning she had let something metallic fall onto the floor by mistake and its loud clatter had managed to rip the firstborn child out of her sleep.

Due to their shared sleeping area and current position, Freya could not stand up without waking up her sister and brother, thus she was forced to stay in 'bed' until they stirred from they sleep.

Hopefully, it would take a few more hours.

The ten-years-old loved her siblings, but they could be incredibly tiring. As such, she tried to get us much rest as she could before their day truly started and if that meant being caught in the same position for the next few hours, then so be it.

* * *

They had a daily routine.

It started a few hours after the sun rose with the awakening of Freya's siblings. They dressed themselves and ate the breakfast Magdalena usually prepared for them. Then Freya took care of cleaning their home and made sure that her siblings didn't do anything too stupid inside of it.

Depending on the day and time of the year, the oldest of the siblings accompanied her brother and sister outside and either entertained them with some games she remembered from her old life or led them towards the river and helped them wash themselves. Valora often joined the three of them outside, though as they all got older, their cousin had to go with her family to the fields more often until she completely stopped spending time with them during the day.

Freya herself wasn't completely exempt from helping their mother either. When there was especially much work to do or their reserves got too tight, Magdalena had to take them all with her. Even the twins had to help on such occasions.

The older they all got, the more food their family needed. This was why their free days got rarer, but they did not disappear completely. The siblings still spent more time at home than on the fields.

Their routine never truly changed. There might have been a few differences from time to time, however, they were never too drastic...

...never too significant...

...

...until one day, a stranger whose eyes spoke of an age old weariness that could not belong to a _human_ decided to seek them out by the river. A shade of vivid cerise tainted his iris and contrasted heavily with his ivory skin. Thick black eyelashes surrounded those bloodied orbs and just added to their beauty.

Then there were his eyebrows which were bent in a perfect arc, one of them raised questioningly.

 _He did not blink even once as he stared at the three of them._

Waves of sinfully dark and luscious hair tumbled down the man's back and were ruffled by the warm summer wind. Freya could only watch, transfixed, as he raised his right hand and moved it out of the shadow. His skin seemed to catch the sun rays and glimmer in response.

It was almost as if someone had embedded thousands of diamonds into his body.

Elegant fingers wiggled slightly as his head was tilted to the side in one fluid motion. ''Hello, little ones.''

All air seemed to leave her lungs at the sound of this stranger's voice. There seemed to be something _inviting_ about it, beckoning the girl to move forward.

Had it not been for Jane's tight grip on her dress, she might have done just that. As it was, the blonde just opened her mouth a few times, trying to say something and yet failing to do so.

(...a frightening realization was very slowly being shaped into existence...)

Letting her tongue slide over her lower lip, Freya tried again. '' _What a_ re you?''

Normally, such a question might have come across as rude or weird, but when it came to that _creature_ ―She did not know what else to call it. What she did know, however, was that this man could not be a _human._ ―this was the most fitting thing that came to her mind.

''What am I?'' The man smiled a curious little smile and something inside of the blonde trembled in fright. ''Well, I am Aro. And who might you be, my dear little girl? Are those your siblings?''

Freya's arms tightened around her brother and sister as her mind registered the man's name. A lie, this had to be some sick lie...

...

...the pounding of her heart seemed to gain some speed and a part of the child wanted to laugh hysterically...

...

...

...if it were not for the irrefutable proof standing before her, she would have actually been cackling at this absurd idea...

...but could something real truly be considered as _absurd?_

Red eyes. Pale glimmering skin. Inhuman beauty. A man named Aro.

 _Twilight._

More than a little horrified, Freya watched the man touch _Jane's_ hand. His eyes lost all of their focus and a pleased sigh escaped his lips.

 _Was he truly capable of seeing all of her thoughts with one touch?_

The younger girl tried and failed to rip her hand away from his grasp. Helping Jane should have been her older sister's next course of action, but a normally silent voice inside her head froze the girl in place. With all the knowledge _Ella_ had, she could not risk brushing her hand against his. If this man truly was who she thought him to be, then any skin contact between them could mean _her_ end. Whether it came in form of a second death or an enslavement in his coven did not really matter.

 _''Delightful.''_ His eyes widened as they regarded both of her siblings and then finally settled on Freya thoughtfully. ''I wonder...''

Watching his hand move in her direction prompted an almost instinctual reaction from the blonde. She recoiled backwards and pulled her siblings successfully―Only because he allowed it.―away from what she grudgingly admitted to be a _vampire._

That thought alone made the child swallow nervously.

They were in the presence of a predator, Freya acknowledged frightfully as she watched him for even the smallest sign of danger. Though, if he chose to attack them, there would be nothing she could do to stop him.

A small part of her might have still believed that all this was a joke, yet her primal side knew better. It was shouting at the blonde to _run_ and should it be necessary to just leave Jane and Alec behind...

...

...her siblings that were just _coincidentally_ named after two fictional characters...

...

...

... _Jane and Alec...her little sister and brother..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _...the witch twins of the Volturi..._

This time she could not stop the hysterical laugh from escaping her slightly parted lips. The harsh sound permeated the silence surrounding them and actually seemed to surprise _Aro._ He cocked his head to the side and regarded the oldest mortal present with those _inhuman_ eyes. His lips curled up in amusement.

''Such curious little creatures.'' The tone he used was deep and soothing, almost a _purr._ ''It truly is a shame that you are still so young. We will have to come back in a few years time.''

None of this should have sounded as ominous as it did.

Her skin crawled when she saw him visibly refraining himself from touching _her._ Not knowing something must have been incredibly hard and vexing for a being that could find out a person's all secrets just with one touch.

Never letting her gaze waver from the stranger's form, Freya tugged on her siblings' sleeves. ''Jane, Alec, we should head home now. Mother must be worried.''

They did not resist her pulling hands, neither did they stop their sister from running and hauling them along with her. Just like Freya, the two six-years-old must have felt the unspeakable danger the _vampire_ represented. Must have experienced the same fear she felt clawing at her chest.

And yet, it was undeniable that had the man ordered them to do something, the once American might have actually obeyed him to show her deference. A part of her still wanted to turn around to continue observing the most _beautiful_ being she had ever seen.

Perfect in every way possible.

Perhaps it was due to their physical age that they actually managed to walk away. Had they been older and attracted to him, then this whole situation might have ended differently.

Freya did not even want to begin to imagine what she would have done if some teenage hormones had encouraged her to throw herself at the man. Although such a thing would have normally been no problem, it might have ended disastrous with a man like Aro.

(...The seemingly young child remembered the _monster she_ had read about and seen on screen just as well as she recalled what he would _mold_ her siblings into...)

Something wet slid down Freya's cheeks and the girl realized that she _crying_ when a loud and desperate sob echoed through the forest.

 _Twilight, she was in fucking Twilight._


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is the newest chapter. I have edited the whole story and changed its perspective. When I started writing 'Until We Go Down' I had been a fan of the first person narrator, nowadays not so much.**

 **As you might notice when you read it, there is a time skip in chapter six. The next few chapters might have more of those in them and they will probably end up being pretty short as well. Like this I hope to move the story slightly forward.**

 **There is very little action in this chapter. Instead I have tried showing Freya's thoughts and feelings about her new life and future.**

 **Recommendation!** **: I have published a new story once again. Sometimes, I just can't help myself. Anyway, it is a Self-Insert into Harry Potter. If you are interested in that fandom, then try it out.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary:** **She never thought that death would lead her from one hell to another. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as the older sister of the witch twins.]**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _Chapter 6_

 _Life Goes On_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where Time Passed_

* * *

 _"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter."_

 _― Nicolas Chamfort_

 _"I don't think anyone ever gets over anything in life; they merely get used to it."_  
 _― Douglas Coupland_

* * *

Finding out that she was in _Twilight_ was less shocking than one might expect.

Freya had been plenty shaken and flabbergasted when she met _Aro,_ but all these feelings did not stay with her for too long. After everything that had happened to her in the last few years, this revelation wasn't as surprising as it could have really been.

The girl doubted that there was anything that could beat _getting reborn_ in the shock department.

So, while the news that she was now living in the past of a fictional were rather unwelcome and startling, they did not actually manage to shatter her whole world.

Neither did they manage to change her opinion about her siblings. Even though she now knew what Jane and Alec would end up being - _sadistic monsters of the worst kind -_ Freya could not bring herself to stop loving them. In the last few years, they had become the center of her world and there was nothing that could ever change that.

(...the blonde wasn't naive enough to believe that she could somehow change the future...

...

... _Aro would get her siblings, whether Freya wanted it or not...)_

As such, she did not see the point in needlessly worrying herself. With her laughable human strength there was nothing she could do against a coven of vampires. The only thing Freya _would_ change was her siblings future _'witch trial'._

 _She would let no one even try burning the twins at the stake._

This meant that she had to hide them even more thoroughly from the villagers than before. Freya knew that her current behavior must have been stifling for the twins, but she also knew that they would thank her for it in the future. Some day, when they finally understood the precarious situation they had once been in, Jane and Alec would be grateful for her paranoid actions.

And until that time came, until the time came for Aro to finally change them, the twins could resent her all they wanted. Their safety was her prime objective.

Though, fortunately they did not seem to do that yet. For now, both of them still came to her with their problems or even to play some games.

For now, they still _loved_ her.

* * *

By the time Freya was thirteen, she had seen exactly four vampires.

They never actually made any contact with her siblings or her, however, the girl knew that one of them was probably always somewhere nearby.

A small part of her had hoped that Aro would not sent anyone to constantly watch them, while another was very happy about this development.

If something were to go wrong now, at least there would be someone there who could save her siblings. The girl wasn't arrogant enough to believe that she could do much good by herself.

''You're holding it wrong, Jane,'' said Alec, instantly jarring Freya out of her thoughts. ''See, you have to do it like this.''

He was showing his twin the proper way to hold a hunting knife. As Eldric had no male heir, he decided to name Alec his successor. Should Eldric die, then Alec would inherit not only their home, but their uncle's as well. Due to this, the older man had taken it upon himself to teach her brother how to be a 'proper' man.

This, of course, included being capable of providing food and protection for his family. For this Alec needed to learn how to wield different weapons, among them a hunting knife.

The boy did not even question why he should teach his sisters the things he learned from their uncle. Freya had made sure that Alec knew how to treat a woman properly, especially if that woman was a family member.

Thus, her brother saw nothing wrong in showing his sisters how they could properly protect themselves.

Neither did he stop to think about why Freya would want both him and Jane to always carry a hidden weapon with them. He accepted her explanation of there being many bad people in the world and left it at that.

If someone were to attack them, her siblings would not go down without a fight.

Freya realized that giving sharp weapons to nine years old children probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. However, she preferred taking this risk rather than leaving them completely helpless against all the bigoted villagers.

Besides, she had taken a lot of time to thoroughly explain them the dangers of the knives. The blonde even used them to cut her siblings' thumbs slightly and thus show them even a small part of the harm they could cause.

Now, she could only hope that they had understood her instructions and would properly follow them.

''You can't hold it so high and your thumb is too low,'' explained the dark haired boy, while his hands moved upwards to improve Jane's hold on the knife. ''Here, like that it's right.''

Jane followed her twin's instructions.

Alec still appeared to be displeased.

Freya decided to interfere before they started bickering with each other. ''Perhaps I should try it now.''

At Jane's grateful nod, the oldest sibling almost sighed in relief. Among all Jane's virtues there wasn't even one sliver of patience, which meant that the younger girl could be riled up very easily.

An angry Jane was not a pleasant one.

Taking the knife from Jane, Freya recalled the correct way to hold the weapon. Then she tried to imitate the grip her brother previously had on it. The whole thing was easier said than done, though she did manage to do it better than her bratty sister.

Somehow, it did not feel like much of an accomplishment.

Alec smiled pleasantly and Freya immediately became suspicious. ''At least, you're better than Jane.''

The statement was clearly meant to insult both sisters. It earned the boy a harsh glare from the older blonde and a punch to the shoulder from the younger one.

Yelping loudly, Alec jumped away from them. Quietly, he mumbled: ''Why am I even helping you?''

Both sisters smiled sharply.

* * *

Freya's thirteenth year in this new world introduced the beginning of puberty to her body. Her curves became more prominent and her face less chubby. A few pimples appeared on her face from time to time, though she was glad to note that she did not have to suffer from any severe acne this time around either.

In comparison to her first body, this one was more unique. Her coloring wasn't dull anymore, quite the opposite really, and features could be described as elfin.

The girl still sometimes found it hard to accept that this was indeed _her own_ body. During some days, she could not help regarding it from an outsiders perspective.

Her low height might have been one reason for this. As Ella she had once heard that people in the past were generally smaller than those in the future. Freya herself seemed to be especially small though.

Not that any of the village boys seemed to mind that. The girl saw the way they looked at her and she took comfort in the fact that no one would ever actually act on those superficial feelings of attractions. Her siblings' or rather her family's lousy reputation stopped any possible admires from even considering to court her.

To Freya, this felt more like a blessing than anything else. It might have been naive of her, but Freya once grew up and lived in modern times, thus she liked believing in the idea of a _love_ marriage.

Furthermore, the blonde did not want to be forced to marry some sexist bastard who could be thrice as old as her.

Magdalena had been a good example of how bad such a thing could end.

Mixing the stew before her, Freya thought about her supposed father and grimaced. Aldwyn had most likely belonged to the few most disgusting men in the world. Freya knew that not every man was like him, just like she knew that despite this century's prejudices, women weren't constantly humiliated on the streets.

And yet, she found herself still very hesitant just at the thought of marrying someone who wasn't born in the modern era.

Another problem she had with marriage was that in these times it always included _children._ The girl had enough to worry about with just her siblings, she did not need to add an infant to her troubles. Not to mention that childbirth was not even partly safe here. Both her and the hypothetical child could die due to some complications.

Unfortunately, neither of her cousins seemed to share her opinion on this matter. Rowena was particularly angered by the rumors surrounding her family and her father's reluctance to marry her off. Eldric's oldest child was slowly gaining the reputation of an old maiden, despite being only twenty-five years old.

That was not a nice reputation to have in the 10th century.

''Cut the carrots a little smaller, Alec,'' reprimanded Freya, her eyes straying from the pot over the fire.

The boy pouted. ''Yes, yes.''

Looking at her little little brother, Freya's eyebrows furrowed slightly. She feared for his and Jane's future. If she did not manage to keep them alive long enough, her siblings would never reach adulthood. They would be trapped in their childish bodies for the rest of eternity and the girl doubted that something like that would make them happy.

In the Twilight movies it was said that vampires were frozen in time, yet Freya did not believe that this was entirely true. Even if her siblings were turned at a young age, they would still mature through the following centuries of their life until they reached a point where they would be just adults trapped in the bodies of small children.

That could not be a happy existence.

Sighing loudly, the blonde regarded her sister's hands pointedly. ''You too, Jane.''

Well, at least her siblings were still too young to cut some vegetables properly. Freya took comfort from the fact that she still had a few years before the events from a once fictional world were meant to take place.

 _She still had enough time to save them._


End file.
